The present invention relates generally to training and play devices for animals. Stated more particularly, disclosed herein is a tethered device for playing with and teaching animals, such as dogs and cats, to perform tasks and tricks, such as fetching, jumping, and the like.
Since first domesticating dogs, mankind has endeavored to teach these pets to perform a variety of tasks and tricks. Certain tasks are essentially utilitarian in nature. For example, the hunters dog will be skilled in fetching and retrieving prey at the hunters behest. This utilitarian task advantageously obviates the need for the hunter to traipse through marshy, brambly, or otherwise inaccessible ground surfaces.
Other tasks are fundamentally playful in nature and are designed to provide exercise and enjoyment both to the pet owner and the pet For example, many dog owners find enjoyment and fitness for the owner and his or her dog in a game of fetch. In playing fetch, the dog owner typically will toss a ball, stick, or other game projectile away from him or herself and the dog. With this, the obedient and well-trained dog will run toward the direction of the game projectile""s throw, search for the projectile as necessary, and then pick up the stick, ball, or the like with the dog""s mouth. With projectile in mouth, the animal will return to its master so that the cycle can be repeated.
Although many dogs take to fetching nearly instinctively, the experienced reader will appreciate that not all dogs are possessed of the natural inclination, desire, or apparent understanding to, firstly, chase down a game projectile and, additionally or alternatively, to carry the thrown object back to the owner who, moments ago threw the object away. Few things are more comically frustrating than the dog that watches its excited owner throw the game projectile, stands pat, and casts an apparently bewildered, curious stare at its owner from a tilted head. Just as uncooperative is the animal that chases down the ball or stick only to pick it up and continue running happily away from the frustrated owner.
With continued training and practice, some of these otherwise recalcitrant animals can be conditioned over time to run and retrieve thrown articles whereby the effective difference to the owner is limited to the time and effort required to train the dog. Disadvantageously, though, that time and effort can be extensive under conventional training techniques. Also, effective training requires, at a minimum, sufficient patience and often some knowledge or natural ability to deal with animals. One will further note that there are other types of dogs that simply resist even the most diligent training when conventional training methods are employed.
As a result, many dogs are never properly taught to fetch and retrieve thrown articles, such as balls, sticks, and the like. For the typical dog owner, although the overall function of the dog as a playmate and companion continues, this inability unavoidably limits the fun and exercise that the owner and his or her dog can enjoy. For the hunter or other utilitarian dog owner where the dog is as much a tool as a companion, the utility of the dog is nearly obviated.
In another vein, one will appreciate that, even where a dog is capable of fetching and retrieving, doing so repetitively can become uninteresting over time. With this, an owner and his or her dog""s time spent playing together can be cut short by waning interest on the part of one or both participants. Consequently, the owner and the dog each are deprived of useful and enjoyable moments of exercise and play.
Taking the foregoing into consideration, one will appreciate that there is a real need on the part of owners and animals alike that would enable an owner of an animal, such as a dog or cat, to teach the animal to fetch and retrieve in a simple, effective, and enjoyable manner. It will be further appreciated that animal owners and their pets would be well served by a device that enables the two to participate in a variety of training and play endeavors even beyond fetching and retrieving.
Advantageously, the present invention is founded on the basic object of providing a device capable of enabling an animal owner and his or her pet to engage in a variety of training and play endeavors.
An underlying object of the invention is to provide a device that would enable an owner of an animal, such as a dog or cat, to train the animal to fetch and retrieve simply, effectively, and enjoyably.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device for enabling animal owners and pets alike to enjoy fun and exercise together for extended periods of time.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a device that enables an animal owner to ensure that the animal is capable of performing utilitarian tasks, such as assisting hunters or retrieving selected objects.
Undoubtedly, these and still further objects of the invention will be obvious not only to one who has an opportunity to review the present specification and drawings but also to one who has an opportunity to make use of an embodiment of the present invention for a tethered fetching, training, and play device for animals.
In accomplishing these objects, a most basic embodiment of the instant invention for a tethered fetching, training, and play device for animals comprises an elongate tether, a target projectile for being tossed, thrown, or moved and thereby acting as the target of an animals attention, a means for coupling the target projectile to the first end of the elongate tether, and a means for retaining an animal treat relative to the target projectile. The particular shape and size of the target projectile certainly could vary widely within the scope of the invention. For example, the target projectile could be or simulate a stick, a ball, a bone, or substantially any other article that an animal might be inclined or motivated to chase or seize.
Under even this most simple embodiment of the invention, an animal treat can be retained relative to the target projectile to act as a motivational tool to entice the animal to chase and seize the target projectile. With this, a user can employ the tethered device to train an animal to perform tasks and tricks, such as fetching and retrieving. A user might begin to do so by retaining the second end of the elongate tether and tossing, throwing, or otherwise moving the target projectile relative to the user and the animal. With this, the animal, knowing of the retained animal treat, will tend to chase and seize the target projectile. The user can then instruct the animal to return with the target projectile. If necessary, the user can compel the animal to return by drawing on the elongate tether to pull the target projectile, the retained treat, and the animal to the user. By doing this as many times as may be necessary, a user can train the animal to fetch and retrieve simply, effectively, and conveniently. Of course, one will readily appreciate that the device could be used relative to a plurality of additional training and play endeavors.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will further comprise a handle disposed at the second end of the elongate tether. Preferably, the handle will be rotatably coupled to the second end of the elongate tether. With this, disadvantageous twisting and tangling of the elongate tether can be avoided. Also, certain embodiments of the invention could include further a means for removably attaching the target projectile to the first end of the elongate tether. One such means could comprise a bore hole with a channel therein in combination with a coupling rod with at least one spring-loaded member for engaging the channel in the bore hole when the coupling rod is matingly received in the bore hole.
In certain embodiments, there may be further provided a means for selectively retracting the elongate tether so that a user can selectively cause the elongate tether and the target projectile to assume a retracted position. That means could comprise a spring-loaded reel, a crank-operated reel, or any other appropriate means. With this, a user could readily draw the target projectile back to him or her for a succeeding throw or the like. Still greater advantage could be realized by providing a means, such as a spring-loaded device, for selectively projecting the target projectile away from a user thereby simplifying the task of throwing or tossing the target projectile.
One will appreciate that the means for retaining an animal treat relative to the target projectile could assume a wide variety of forms that each would be well within the scope of the invention. One such means could comprise an open inner volume within the game projectile that would have an entry aperture. Under such a configuration, an animal treat could be at least partially inserted into the open inner volume through the entry aperture. This structure could be improved by a means for preventing a retained animal treat from becoming unintentionally dislodged from its position at least partially within the open inner volume. By way of example, such a means could be in the form of at least one resilient member disposed at least partially across the entry aperture of the open inner volume for preventing a retained animal treat from becoming unintentionally dislodged. The at least one resilient member would essentially act as a movable obstruction or finger for effectively blocking an animal treat from popping out of the open inner volume. In one embodiment, the means for preventing a dislodging of the animal treat could comprise a plurality of such fingers or resilient members. In such a case, each of the resilient members could project from a periphery of the entry aperture toward a central portion of the entry aperture.
With a plurality of embodiments of the present invention for a tethered fetching, training, and play device referenced above, one will appreciate that the foregoing discussion broadly outlines the more important features of the invention merely to enable a better understanding of the detailed description that follows and to instill a better appreciation of the inventor""s contribution to the art. Before an embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it must be made clear that the following details of construction, descriptions of geometry, and illustrations of inventive concepts are mere examples of the many possible manifestations of the invention.